Category Archives: English

Here’s what just a few students have to say about Fred Theatre’s current touring production of A CHRISTMAS CAROL:

It was real wonderful thank you (smiley face) (Elisha, year 10)

The happy vibe and great actors/actresses! (Emily, year 10)

The superb acting, everything was excellent, I enjoyed this performance (thumbs up, smiley face)(Baker, year 11)

After the Christmas break, Fred Theatre is touring with two Shakespearean classics, MACBETH and ROMEO AND JULIET, and we’re confident both shows will get an equally great response.

Our 90 minute adaptations are fresh and exciting re-tellings of familiar and much-loved stories. Each features a cast of six professional actors, and we concentrate on the text and producing a faithful representation of the original—just a little shorter!

Both productions can be performed in your school, all we need is a space approximately 5m x 5m with room for the audience.

To find out more, simply e-mail Helen in our office, helen@fred-theatre.co.uk, or call us on 01789 777612. We’ll collect a few details from you and respond with potential dates and a quote.

Both shows also have in-theatre public performances. We are at:

The Cockpit, Marylebone, LONDON 20-21 February

The Bear Pit, STRATFORD-UPON-AVON, 5-9 February

Helen can provide more information on these performances, or you can reserve tickets with the venues.

We look forward to hearing from you. In the meantime…

Fred Fact #2

Every student at a Fred Theatre schools’ performance receives their own copy of the programme for the show as well as a feedback card. Once we’ve had a look through the cards, we return these to schools so you may use them as a tool in class when discussing the play and/or the production.

A study conducted by researchers at Sheffield University has revealed that students who are given information in comic-style format show significantly higher memory scores compared to students who receive the same information in text-only format.

The study consisted of 90 participants who were split into groups. Some participants were given test material in comic-style format while others were given test material in text-only format. The participants were then tested on their retention of the information using ten multiple-choice questions. Participants that were given the comic-style format material scored more correct answers.

This Graphic Revision Guide for Jane Eyre is an essential tool for anyone studying this book for GCSE English Literature. It contains comic-style sheets, especially tailored to strengthen your students’ understanding of plot, characters, quotes, … read more and see sample pages

After the Christmas break, Fred Theatre is touring with two Shakespearean classics: MACBETH and ROMEO AND JULIET.

Our 90 minute adaptations are fresh and exciting re-tellings of familiar and much loved stories. Typically these feature a cast of six professional actors. We concentrate on the text and producing a faithful representation of the original—just a little shorter!

We can bring both productions to your school, and booking is now also open for our public performances.

To find out more, simply e-mail Helen in our office, helen@fred-theatre.co.uk, or call us on 01789 777612. We’ll collect a few details from you and respond with potential dates and a quote.

We look forward to hearing from you. In the meantime…

Fred Fact #1

Did you know that our artistic director, Robert Ball, has an MA in Shakespeare and Theatre from the Shakespeare Institute (University of Birmingham), Stratford-upon-Avon?

Robert studied at the Institute from 2009 and maintains close links with both staff and former students. He completed his degree by writing on small-scale touring theatre at the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Fred Theatre is taking to the road this autumn with the company’s specially commissioned schools friendly version of Charles Dickens’ classic novella.

Performed by five actors in 90 minutes, this lively adaptation really brings the book to life. A faithful retelling of the much loved story, it is a great introduction to the text or a timely revision tool. There’s even audience interaction!

There are only a few unfilled slots on the tour schedule, but there is still a chance to grab a performance this year.

After the Christmas break, the company is touring with 90 minute versions of three Shakespearean classics.

Our 90 minute adaptations aim to be fresh and exciting re-tellings of familiar and much loved stories. Typically these feature a cast of five or six professional actors. Less technical than public performances, we concentrate on the text and producing a faithful representation of the original—just a little shorter! An excellent introduction to the text in-hand, often more convenient, and nearly always more cost-effective than a trip out to a theatre.

Recognised for our quality, professionalism and accessibility Fred Theatre has built an excellent reputation for our schools friendly productions.

RATHER SEE FRED IN A THEATRE?

We’re pleased to announce that Macbeth and Romeo and Juliet can both be seen on stage if you’d rather organise a field trip.

Both shows will be playing in rep in February at The Bear Pit (Stratford upon Avon) and The Cockpit (Marylebone, London). To discuss a group booking, please contact Helen in the office.

WANT TO KNOW MORE?

To find out more, simply e-mail Helen in our office, helen@fred-theatre.co.uk, or call Robert on 07974 210265. We’ll collect a few details from you and respond with potential dates and costs.

Whether your students will be taken with the Picture of Dorian Gray or Jane Eyre…. Whether they enjoy Pride and Prejudice or Frankenstein… in all cases it is vital that each student has the chance to read at least some of the classics during the school years.

Which is why it is rather helpful that so many of the top classics are now available at just £1.88 each after discount, with free delivery.

And to be very, very clear about this, I am talking about a printed paperback edition of the full text, not a shortened version or an ebook rendering. The full text as a regular paperback at £1.88 each with free delivery and no minimum order.

(I am sorry to have repeated this, but I was recently told by a recipient of one of my notes that he had seen the price, but didn’t buy, even though he wanted the book for his students, because he thought it must be a mistake. But there is no mistake. £1.88 it is.)

However, this misunderstanding did make me realise that I really did need to show that these are books of the highest quality in terms of production and printing. And so we now have an extra offer: we’ll send you a free book without any obligation whatsoever.

We have over 400 titles in print, including over 230 works of classic literature. Each volume contains the full text, with the classics also including a set of exclusive introductions and notes.

Additionally, not only do we have individual titles at £1.88 but we also have the World Literature and Poetry series at just £3.99 before discount, and our complete works series for just £7.99 each.

If you would like to see a list of around 50 of the most frequently used set texts which are available direct to schools at the special price of £1.88 that is available here.

To see the full list of our titles in print along with a ready to use order form, should you need it, we have a page with those details as well. Plus there is currently a 25% discount on all the prices shown.

Finally if you would like a free without obligation sample of one of our classics, just email education@wordsworth-editions.com with your name and the school address, and we’ll put it in the post to you, with our compliments.

They were not the figures that anyone was expecting, but the fall in the readership of ebooks first noticed two years ago has continued. Meanwhile sales of paper books are growing.

And better still, this growth in paper book sales is not being driven by the older generation holding onto the way things used to be. Rather it is the youngsters who are feeding a growth in the purchase of books in print.

Overall last year sales of physical books in bookshops (the best measure we have of the readership of paperbacks and hardbacks) went up by 7% while ebook sales went down by 4% for the second year running.

Which in turn means that any previous notion we had of student resistance to physical books is most certainly now in retreat.

And what we can add is that classics, such as Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and A Christmas Carol, are still being read in huge numbers. And with brand new editions of works such as these now being available at just £1.87 each after discount with free delivery, the ebook’s appeal has declined.

To help ensure the continued dominance of the paper book we have over 400 titles in print, including over 230 works of classic literature. Each volume contains the full text, and with the classics there is also a set of exclusive introductions and notes.

Additionally not only do we have individual titles at £1.87 but we also have the World Literature and Poetry series at just £3.99 before discount, and our complete works series for just £7.99 each.

If you would like to see a list of around 50 of the most frequently used set texts which are available direct to schools at the special price of £1.87 that is available here.

To see the full list of our titles in print along with a ready to use order form, should you need it, we have a page with those details as well. Plus there is currently a 25% discount on all the prices shown.

But even that is not all, for we also have an offer of a free book. Just in case the notion of books at £1.87 each with free delivery seems just too good to be true, we’d like to assure you of the quality of our publications.

So, if you would like a free sample of one of our classics, just email education@wordsworth-editions.com with your name and the school address, and we’ll put it in the post to you, with our compliments.

It is self evident that we live in a world in which pupils and students primarily value the new. Indeed it is an era that is said to have evolved the Cult of the New.

From the latest phone to the latest software upgrade: new is everything.

Which can add a barrier to the students’ appreciation of literature. Especially if the copy of a book they are studying looks a little… well, not to put too fine a point on it, old.

Yet there is a simple solution to this dilemma. Brand new editions of classic works of literature which are available at the discounted price of just £1.87 each with free delivery when ordered directly from us.

The range of titles available at this price is extraordinary. We have over 450 titles in print, covering over 230 works of classic literature. Each volume contains the full text, and with the classics there is also a set of exclusive introductions and notes.

And there is still more, for not only do we have individual titles at £1.87 but we also have the World Literature and Poetry series at just £3.99 before discount, and our complete works series for just £7.99.

If you would like to see a list of around 50 of the most frequently used set texts which are available direct to schools at the special price of £1.87 that is available here.

But even that is not all, for we also have an offer of a free book. Just in case the notion of books at £1.87 each with free delivery seems just too good to be true, we’d like to assure you of the quality of our publications.

So, if you would like a free sample of one of our classics, just email education@wordsworth-editions.com with your name and the school address, and we’ll put it in the post to you, with our compliments.

Along with us here at FRED Theatre HQ, I hope you’re enjoying the summer break.

I realise not all work stops though, and thought now would be a good time to remind you we are currently accepting enquiries for our in-schools productions for 2017-18.

JUST ADDED: MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING

In response to a number of requests, we’ve added Shakespeare’s much loved comedy to our programme of in-school shows for the new academic year.

In common with our other productions, Much Ado will run at approximately 90 minutes, using an edited version of Shakespeare’s play. A bright, bold and colourful production, this will be just right for the summer term. You might even want to think about an outdoor performance (space and weather permitting).

A CHRISTMAS CAROL

First up though, in the autumn term, we are touring a fresh adaptation of Charles Dickens’ classic Christmas ghost story.

A professional cast of six actors will faithfully present this much loved story in an innovative and low-tech setting. All you need supply is a space and an audience.

It’s an excellent introduction to the novella for students, or a timely refresher, that ensures all the key themes (including responsibility, poverty, education, change) are included giving classes plenty to discuss post-performance.

A Christmas Carol can be performed in-school at a time to suit your schedule, and is available for bookings throughout October, November and December 2017. The show runs at 90 minutes and is suitable for all ages, especially those studying the text.

SPRING 2018: MACBETH and ROMEO AND JULIET

After Christmas we are back in schools with 90 minute versions of two of Shakespeare’s classic tragedies.

Macbeth toured in early 2017 and was very well received. We’re delighted to bring back that production for a second tour along with a new production of Romeo and Juliet.

As the current academic year draws to a close, everyone at Fred Theatre wishes you a great summer.

We’ll all be fitting in holidays, but the office remains open to respond to enquiries regarding our three in-school shows for next year.

MACBETH

“All of the actors in this show gave passionate and haunting performances.”

“Fred’s production of Macbeth proved that a small theatre company can produce big theatre in a small space.”

“Despite being an hour and a half, the show did not feel rushed and the integrity of the show was not compromised.”

(Quotes from student reviews, details on file)

This year’s 90 minute Macbeth is returning in spring 2018. Fred Theatre brings Shakespeare’s tragedy of greed, lust and betrayal to life in a new and intimate production.

Six actors present this timeless classic in a contemporary setting. The production asks who, in the twenty-first century, can be trusted to tell us the truth? How easy is it to manipulate others? And, what happens if ambition is left unchecked?

ROMEO AND JULIET

We’re delighted to announce the addition of Romeo and Juliet to the schools’ repertoire for spring 2018.

As with Macbeth, Shakespeare’s text is cut to be performed in 90 minutes, with the focus firmly on the young lovers and their journey from the bliss of first true love to tragic victims of a family feud.

Performed by six actors, Romeo and Juliet will be an excellent introduction to the text or a timely revision tool.

A CHRISTMAS CAROL

This autumn Fred Theatre is on the road with Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Recognised for our quality, professionalism and accessibility Fred has built an excellent reputation for our schools friendly productions.

Our 90 minute adaptation is a fresh and exciting re-telling of the familiar and much loved story.

A Christmas Carol is already booked in to perform at many schools in the run-up to Christmas, but there is space on the schedule if you’re interested.

WANT TO KNOW MORE?

Simply email our office (admin@fred-theatre.co.uk) or call Robert on 07974 210265. We’ll collect a few details from you and respond with potential dates and a quote soon after.

October is National Poetry Month

Dear Head of English,

October is National Poetry Month: this is our 17th year. How to get the new school year off to an exciting start? Every year the Performance Poetry Society arranges a National Tour of Interactive Poetry and Song Shows to enrich and entertain students in Year 7 and Year 8.

To find out how your secondary school can take advantage of this and join in, please telephone Sandra Dennis our Tour Co-ordinator on 0208 688 6951 or email performancepoetry@yahoo.com for further details.

In the words of C.S. Lewis, ‘Literature adds to reality, it does not simply describe it. It enriches the necessary competencies that daily life requires and provides; and in this respect, it irrigates the deserts that our lives have already become.’

The English Literature Summer School is an opportunity for like-minded students aged 15-18 to indulge their passion for literature and explore some of the most exciting and challenging ideas in contemporary literary theory. Each part of the course consists of a structured five-day programme taught by expert postgraduate tutors.

The English Summer School – Part 1 will cover literature dating from 650 to 1790, including Middle English, Medieval Literature, Chaucer, The Renaissance, Shakespeare, Restoration Literature and the Rise of the Novel. As part of this course, students will explore Historicist and Feminist critical approaches.

The English Summer School – Part 2 will cover literature dating from 1790 to 2017, including Romanticism and the Gothic Movement, Victorian Sensation Novels, Literature and the British Empire, Modernism, and Postmodernism. As part of this course, students will explore Postcolonial criticism and the ‘Death of the Author’.

The English Summer School – Part 3 will cover Contemporary English Literature, including prose fiction, poetry and drama. As part of this course, students will explore psychoanalytic criticism and theories of the canon.

Please note that although the courses complement one another, they can also be treated as stand-alone events, and there is no requirement to have attended Part 1 in order to register for other Parts of the course.

Classes are small, typically containing twelve to fourteen students, all of whom should have a passion for Literature, a curiosity to build on their existing knowledge and a desire to embrace and exchange new ideas. The tutors for the course range widely in their specialisms, from Medieval folk tales to Renaissance drama to contemporary criticism. This ensures that students will benefit from the broadest possible range of perspectives and approaches. Literary theory and criticism will play an important role in each session, and students will be invited to examine texts they have studied in the light of competing theories of the nature and value of literature and the role of the critic.

Feedback from previous students

‘This was such an amazing course! I think the thing that made it so enjoyable were the staff running it. Although challenging, the course opened my eyes to a whole different perspective on literature – and the speakers really helped me to understand some of the harder texts. I would definitely recommend this course as it is worth every minute.’

‘I would absolutely recommend this course to anyone doing A-Level English or considering studying English at University. The week left me feeling inspired and wanting to learn more about the subject areas we covered, most of which are not even touched upon at school. The teachers encouraged us to discuss theories and philosophies of literature that piqued our interests, and several of these debates spilled over into lunchtime and even after class! The other students were friendly and easy to get along with. I went home feeling equally uplifted and educated by my time here… Thank you to everyone for making the experience so enjoyable!’

‘The Debate Chamber Summer School was a fantastic experience and one well worth applying for. Not only was it made thoroughly enjoyable by the effort and expertise of the tutors, but will undoubtedly prove invaluable in the future when drawing on the variety of skills learnt.’

‘I found this Summer School immensely enjoyable and extremely beneficial to my English studies. I knew before attending this course I wanted to study English Literature at university, but this informed me greatly of older literature (such as Old English, Medieval literature and the rise of the novel) as well as explaining fascinating literary criticism such as new historicism. I also met some lovely people who I hope to stay in contact with. I can’t recommend this course enough! If you have a passion for analysing and discussing the best texts in the English language, then you will relish this summer school.’

How can my students attend?

The English Literature Summer School will be held at University of London venues in Bloomsbury, Central London, and is open to students aged 15 – 18.

Part 1 will take place on the 24th – 28th July, Part 2 will take place on the 31st July – 4th August and Part 3 will take place on the 7th – 11th August 2017.

Fred Theatre is back in schools this autumn with another great adaptation of a literary classic: Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Recognised for our quality, professionalism and accessibility Fred has built an excellent reputation for our schools friendly productions.

Our 90 minute adaptation is a fresh and exciting re-telling of the familiar and much loved story. A professional cast of six actors will faithfully present A Christmas Carol in an innovative and low tech setting–all you need supply is a space and an audience.

It’s an excellent introduction to the book for students, or a timely refresher.

A Christmas Carol can be performed in-school at a time to suit your schedule, and is available for bookings throughout October, November and December 2017.

Want to save money on your in-school booking?

If your school can host a public performance around the same time as booking an in-school show for students we may be able to save you money. We are looking for schools where we can perform to the general public in the evening. If you can host one of these shows, in return we will share the box office takings with you as a discount on your booking.

Want to know more?

Simply email our office (admin@fred-theatre.co.uk) or call Robert on 07974 210265. We’ll collect a few details from you and respond with potential dates and a quote soon after.

PS: Our popular 90 minute Macbeth is back on the road in the spring term, along with a new production of Romeo and Juliet. To register your interest in either of these please email the office (address above).

Or come to that from Frankenstein to Jane Eyre, from Great Expectations to Romeo and Juliet (both quite interesting journeys!). And all at just £1.87 each (after your 25% discount) with free delivery when ordered directly from us.

I could go further, of course, and add, from HG Wells’ “Time Machine and other works” to John Maynard Keynes’ “General Theory of Employment Interest and Money.” And that is indeed an interesting contrast!

And, of course, there are plenty more to choose from. World Literature and Poetry are just £3.99 before discount, and our complete works series for just £7.99. There’s a complete Shakespeare, complete Jane Austin, complete Brothers Grimm, complete Oscar Wilde…

Wordsworth Editions has over 450 titles in print, covering over 230 works of classic literature and over 50 popular children’s books. And not only does each volume naturally have the full text, but with all of our classics there is also a set of exclusive introductions and notes.

If you would like to see a list of around 50 of the most frequently used set texts which are available direct to schools at the special price of £1.87 that is available here.

And we also have an offer of a free book. Just in case the notion of books at £1.87 each with free delivery seems just too good to be true, we’d like to assure you of the quality of our publications.

So, if you would like a free sample of one of our classics, just email education@wordsworth-editions.com with your name and the school address, and we’ll put it in the post to you, with our compliments.

We have made Education Quizzes free for a whole year so that students like Tom can sparkle too

Despite all the revision tips, tricks and techniques, the best way to help your pupils to retain the knowledge that they have learned in their English lessons is by presenting them with the opportunity to use this knowledge on a regular basis.

However, since there is more than one topic area to cover in English, it can sometimes be a long period of time until a topic is revisited, by which time your pupils will have forgotten much of what they had previously learned.

Which is why we have produced an extensive library of English quizzes and made them free to use for a whole year, so that your students can test and revise their knowledge as frequently as they need and want to.

What’s more, Education Quizzes is ideal to set as homework tasks as it involves little to no PPA time – giving you more time to focus on planning and preparing future lessons and assessing the work of your students from lessons which have gone before.

When English literature books are offered at a very low price, you’ll want to see a free sample first.

Sometimes an offer of the key texts of English literature at an astoundingly low price can seem what you have been waiting for.

But then you might pause and think, “how can they be this low in price?” You might wonder about the quality of the print, the size of the print, the quality of the binding, the book’s ability to withstand the slings and arrows of outrageous teenage use…

Which is why we offer all schools a free sample book. No strings, no hidden postage cost. A sample book delivered to you free, so you can see the quality of our publications.

From Jane Austen to the Brontës, from Dickens to Conan Doyle, from DH Lawrence to William Shakespeare, Wordsworth Editions has over 450 titles in print, covering over 230 works of classic literature and over 50 popular children’s books.

And not only does each volume naturally have the full text, but with all of our classics there is also a set of exclusive introductions and notes.

As for the price, that is just £1.50 each after discount with free delivery, and no minimum order as long as you order direct from us. However this price offer only lasts until 31 May. All orders received after that date have a slightly higher (but still very modest) price.

We are also adding new titles to our range regularly – with the most well-known works of HG Wells being the most recent to be included on our list.

To get an overview of the sort of titles we can offer please do visit our website. However if you would like to see a list of around 50 of the most popular titles available direct to schools at the special price of £1.50 that is available here, rising to £1.87 for orders received after 31 May.

Our Traditional Celtic Story-Teller will be visiting secondary schools throughout this Summer Term.

Bards in the true sense, Celtic Yarn-Spinners entertain and enrich all ages with interactive stories, poems and songs.

Jim MacCool’s Interactive Celtic Yarn-Spinning Show is tailored for Years 7 and 8 students. Jim can also offer a creative writing workshop for Year10.

Should you be interested in having Celtic Yarn-Spinner Jim MacCool come to visit, please telephone me, Joy Atkins, on 020 8688 6951, or you may prefer to email: celticyarnspinner@yahoo.co.uk for more information.

From Jane Austen to the Brontës, from Dickens to Conan Doyle, from DH Lawrence to William Shakespeare, Wordsworth Editions has over 450 titles in print, covering over 230 works of classic literature, and over 50 popular children’s books.

And not only does each volume naturally have the full text, but with all of our classics there is also a set of exclusive introductions and notes.

We are also adding new titles to our range regularly – with the most well-known works of HG Wells being the most recent to be included on our list.

The normal price of the key texts is £1.99 which is reduced by 25% and free post and packing when you order direct from us.

To get an overview of the sort of titles we can offer please do visit our website. However if you would like to see a list of around 50 of the most popular titles which are available direct to schools at the special price of £1.50 that is available here.

Then if you want to see the full list of our titles in print along with a ready to use order form, should you need it, then we have a page with those details as well.

And here’s one final offer of a free book. Just in case the notion of books at £1.50 each with free delivery seems just too good to be true, we’d like to assure you of the quality of our publications.

So, if you would like a free sample of one of our classics, just email education@wordsworth-editions.com with your name and the school address, and we’ll put it in the post to you, with our compliments.

A story about witches, ghosts, murders, and moral values by the greatest dramatist of them all: what else does one need at KS3?

There is a growing awareness (as a recent report on student reading has revealed) that teenagers today, brought up on the internet and multi-channel TV, are showing less and less inclination to read.

This is an issue that we, as publishers of Shakespeare, have faced, and one that we feel we have answered with the production of Macbeth.

For our volume takes the majority of Shakespeare’s original text and offers it alongside both a modern English translation and page upon page of full colour illustrations.

The value of the combination of the original text and the contemporary “translation” is obvious – but there is also an added bonus from including the illustrations throughout.

The report on the decline in student reading I mentioned above reveals that where students are provided with suitable illustrations their willingness to read, and the level of knowledge that they take in, is greatly enhanced.

In this manner, emotionally powerful, complex characters are presented in a way that allows students to consider and debate the demanding questions that Macbeth raises. Questions such as whether Macbeth is a tragic hero, who is to blame for Duncan’s murder, and, indeed, what makes a good ruler of a nation, can all be considered in a more approachable manner.

This new edition of Macbeth, in full colour with both the original text and a modern English translation, is now being widely used in schools across the UK and is available direct from the publisher.

You can get a feel for the book here. Then just click on the small pictures that run down the web page to the right of the cover picture, and you’ll see exactly what individual pages of the resource look like.

Top Traditional Story-Teller Jim MacCool is visiting Secondary Schools throughout the Summer Term 2017.

Bards in the true sense, Celtic Yarn-Spinners enrich and entertain all ages with interactive stories, poems and songs.

Mr MacCool’s tried and tested workshops are a wonderful cross curriculum activity mixing music, literacy, speaking and listening skills in a fun learning experience for students and staff.

Should you be interested in having Jim MacCool and his Traditional Story-Telling Workshops come to your school, please telephone me, Joy Atkins, on 020 8688 6951, or you may prefer to email: celticyarnspinner@yahoo.co.uk for more information.

Why we need to understand how the internet has changed young people’s attitudes to reading: a free report

“Attitude” is not everything, of course, but it counts for a lot. The young person who enjoys reading will self-evidently read more than the young person who thinks books are old fashioned or just plain boring.

But of late something has happened – for researchers have noted a change both in the attitude of many young people towards reading and in the way they make judgements on the validity of the knowledge that they have.

Indeed it is being suggested that this is quite probably one of the biggest changes in attitude towards reading and knowledge since the evolution of mass market paperbacks 90 years ago.

The first awareness that a change of immense proportions was happening occurred when academics started to complain that some undergraduates who were perfectly capable of taking their courses were simply not reading set texts at all.

Research also showed that many of these students who regularly used the internet were not accepting that they knew facts (even where they had a perfect knowledge of an issue) unless they could verify the fact on the internet. In short, they have started to believe the internet more than their own learned knowledge.

Such attitudes towards reading have also permeated through secondary and primary school, but it has taken a while to understand exactly what is happening in terms of how young people now see books and magazines.

And it has taken even longer to work out how knowledge can be presented to bright, but reading-averse young people. However new research has revealed a way forward.

The full details of the research and the solution are contained in the free report, “Understanding how the internet has changed young people’s attitudes to reading and what can be done about it”. The report gathers together research and commentaries from various academic sources and presents a new clear approach to working with young people who simply don’t read books and who doubt their own knowledge unless they can verify it on-line.

This thirty-minute meeting will show you exactly how Doddle English can transform teaching, homework, and assessment within your department.

Doddle’s interactive presentations, activities, and worksheets have been updated for the most recent specifications and are mapped to all major exam boards.

Our range of in-depth, engaging resources covers all aspects of popular set texts, such as An Inspector Calls, Romeo and Juliet, and Frankenstein, as well as allfour Assessment Objectives for the English Language specifications.

Self-marking quizzes report automatically to your online markbook, allowing you to take a purely diagnostic approach to your lesson planning and delivery. This enables meaningful analysis of results at an individual, class, and departmental level, and aids tracking of key groups, such as Pupil Premium students.

The English Literature Summer School – Part 1 will cover literature dating from 650AD to 1790AD, including Middle English, Medieval Literature, Chaucer, The Renaissance, Shakespeare, Restoration Literature and the Rise of the Novel. In addition we will also be covering Historicist and Feminist critical approaches as part of this Summer School.

This course offers the opportunity for an in-depth and illuminating exploration of the major movements in the development of English Literature. Tackling canonical authors including Chaucer, Shakespeare and Milton, students will develop the skills to read them both within their historical context and in dialogue with other writers and genres, such as the Medieval courtly poem and Renaissance travel writing. The course should foster a broad understanding of Medieval, Early Modern and eighteenth-century literary movements and familiarise students with their range of distinctive genres, styles and concerns.

Covering a wide range of writing forms including narrative and religious poetry, drama, Renaissance prose, and the invention of the novel form, we will combine close and critical reading with short lectures, group work and editing projects, in order to understand how the texts we encounter were put together. We will approach literature not only in book form, but also in its older oral incarnations, in manuscript, and crucially in performance. Drama should be understood in relation to its production on the stage, and an integral part of this is the trip to a Shakespeare play at the Globe Theatre. For 2017 this will be Twelfth Night.

As well as tackling the exciting developments in the English language through Old and Middle English, we will focus on major ideas that stimulated the literary imagination through several periods including religion, empire, and gender relations. Literary theory will play an important role in examining the production of ideas over time, and in this Summer School we apply the insights of Feminist and Historicist criticism in order to open up new perspectives on the texts that we read or encounter in performance.

Literature of past periods can sometimes seem remote from our own as we grapple with Anglo-Saxon anonymous authorship, or why fiction was such a shocking concept in the early eighteenth century. This Summer School invites students to read literature pre-1790 with historical awareness, critical acuity and an enhanced understanding of the ways in which it has shaped cultural relations, in the past and in the present. As such, the course will be particularly useful to students considering undergraduate study of English, but it is suitable for all those with a passion for literature, and complementary to A-level and Pre-U courses with an emphasis on understanding different periods of literature.

You can view a full schedule for the course, details of tutors and lots more feedback from last year on our website – www.debatechamber.com.

Part 1 of the course will take place on the 24th-28th July 2017. Students may also be interested in Part 2 of the Summer School on the 31st July – 4th Aug which covers literature from 1790 to the present day, with a focus on postcolonial and deconstructivist schools of theory, or Part 3, taking place 7th-11th Aug, which covers exclusively contemporary prose, poetry and drama, with a focus on psychoanalytic theory and theories of the canon.

Please note that students can attend all Parts of the Summer School, or just one or two, depending on their literary interests. Although the courses complement one another, they can also be treated as stand alone events and there is no requirement to have attended Part 1 in order to register for other Parts.

Practical Details:

The English Literature Summer School – Part 1 will take place on the 24th-28th July 2017.

The cost of booking any single Part of the English Literature Summer School £475, the cost of any two Parts is £850, and the cost for all three Parts of the Summer School is £1200. The Summer School will be held at a University of London, Bloomsbury campus (please note that these courses are not residential, and accommodation must be arranged independently if required).

There will be a limited number of bursary spaces available for those who would otherwise have financial difficulty in attending – please see our website for details.

What factor is responsible, more than any other, for students slipping behind in literacy?

It is a fundamental fact of teaching literacy that each student progresses at his/her own unique rate. Each student has his/her own personality. Each has different levels of paying attention. Every student is different.

In order to resolve these various problems it is very helpful – indeed one could say essential – to have a highly accurate and rapid system of placing students according to their current literacy ability, while precisely noting the progress they are making.

Unfortunately, this creates a second problem because analysing exactly where a pupil is in terms of developing literacy skills is even more time-consuming.

The way around all this is to implement an auto-placement approach which allocates each individual’s ability level and reveals exactly what each student needs to be focussing on.

Then, if the student can have one-to-one tuition in a way that is utterly engaging and responsive to his or her immediate literacy needs and within the school’s budget, the issue is resolved.

All of this can all be done using Lexia Strategies Reading Skills software. The analysis, the comparisons with other students, the progress, the remedial work – all of this is tracked and provided by Strategies.

If you want to know more about the program, then again we have all the information you’ll need available here. Alternatively, if you would like to talk first, call 0191 482 1939, or email info@lexiauk.co.uk.

Britain’s Best Storytelling Show

Our Traditional Celtic Story Teller is visiting secondary schools from the beginning of World Story Telling week in March through till the end of the Summer Term.

Bards in the true sense, Celtic Yarn-Spinners entertain and enrich all ages with interactive stories, poems and songs.

Should you be interested in having our Celtic Yarn-Spinner come to visit, please telephone me, Joy Atkins, on 020 8688 6951, or you may prefer to email: celticyarnspinner@yahoo.co.uk for more information.

Stage on Screen produces high quality recordings of classic plays for students and theatre enthusiasts everywhere. We professionally stage classic plays at London’s historic Greenwich Theatre, and then record them with multiple cameras on high definition 16:9 widescreen video and 5.1 surround sound. The plays are filmed in front of a live audience to capture the atmosphere and tension of live theatre. These recordings are then finished, with both optional subtitles and a scene by scene breakdown added, and released on NTSC or PAL Multi region compatible DVDs.

Each DVD pack contains the full play (full text) and is accompanied by extensive filmed interviews with cast and crew, and our unique mastershot (single camera) recording: invaluable when teaching lighting or blocking. In addition there are costume designs, productions stills, and study guides, as well as other background materials on each play and production available at www.stageonscreen.com.

Stage on Screen’s productions are well respected by the theatre industry, teaching staff and the academic community, and in 2015 joined the Drama Online consortium, the award winning Bloomsbury Publishing plc online resource: www.dramaonlinelibrary.com

‘Essential watching in their own right…remarkable resources for those teaching English, Drama and Media ….’ The Shakespeare Bulletin.

‘..Unlike many modern productions of the classics, Stage on Screen productions are rarely cut, putting pupils who see them at a distinct advantage.’ Times Educational Supplement

‘From the moment Faustus enters the playing space we know we are in safe hands…fantastic inspiration for students.’ Teaching Drama Magazine

`Highly recommended.’ Video Librarian

‘A gem of a resource.’ International Schools Theatre Association

‘Brilliant. People who are teaching these plays would be crazy not to buy them’The English and Media Centre.

‘We have used your DVD extensively with our English Literature students. Their exam results have been excellent, and part of that is due to the unique dimension your material adds to their learning.’ Head of English, Colchester Royal Grammar School.

Schools use many different ways of introducing Shakespeare at KS3. But which works best?

A survey of English teachers (including both heads of department, and classroom teachers) has revealed a significant diversity of opinion as to what is the best way to introduce Shakespeare to pupils and students for the first time.

Further, when we asked if it was felt that introducing a Shakespeare play for the first time was problematic, the most common answer was that it was difficult because of resistance to the whole concept of Shakespeare. In short, barriers had to be broken down.

Now, in response to a range of questions asked of teachers in the last couple of years we’ve produced a Shakespeare resource which meets many of the needs expressed by both classroom teachers and heads of departments.

For example, we noted that many teachers like to have a dual text edition with the original and a modern translation available at the same time. Others welcome a highly illustrated comic book approach to make the play more rapidly accessible, particularly at Key Stage 3.

Likewise we noted that around two thirds of teachers involved in teaching Shakespeare to students seeing it for the first time said they liked to start with key scenes only.

So this is what we have produced: a resource that incorporates all these requirements. You can get a feel for the results on our website

Then just click on the small pictures that run down the web page to the right of the cover picture, and you’ll see exactly what individual pages of the resource look like.

Ensure that your KS3 students are confident in their own writing with the spelling, grammar and punctuation toolkit from Doddle English!

Including dynamic presentations, worksheets, and interactive activities, the toolkit covers everything, from punctuating speech to making correct vowel choices.

Complete lessons on key topics such as homophones, commas, and apostrophes aid literacy across all subjects. Targeted SPaG tests make sure your students are on track and that their knowledge of spelling and grammar is secure.

Britain’s Best Storytelling Show

National Storytelling Tour runs from Monday 30th January through to Easter.

Bards in the true sense, Celtic Yarn-Spinners entertain and enrich all ages with interactive stories, poems and songs.

Should you be interested in having our Celtic Yarn-Spinner come to visit, please telephone me, Joy Atkins, on 020 8688 6951, or you may prefer to email: celticyarnspinner@yahoo.co.uk for more information.

Macbeth
by William Shakespeare

Fred Theatre is on the road this February with its exciting new production of Shakespeare’s classic tale of greed, lust, and betrayal: MACBETH.

Edited down to 90 minutes and performed by a cast of six actors, it will be fast-paced, contemporary, and relevant. Ideal for students studying the play at GCSE level and above.

Now is the perfect time to look again at MACBETH. We’re living in a world trendily described as the ‘post-truth age’, where ambition appears, at least, to be driving people to extreme behaviour the like of which we’ve not seen before. How more relevant can a play be than MACBETH which examines the nature of truth and equivocation, power and ambition?

In Fred’s production the witches are centre stage, controlling the action through stealthy manipulation of characters, media, and audience.

TWO WAYS TO SEE FRED’S MACBETH

1. In a theatre, near you

We have public performances coming up in London (12 February), Birmingham (14-15 February), Warwick (17-18 February) and Stratford-upon-Avon (6-7 February).

In addition, Fred can bring MACBETH to your school. All we need is a playing space of at least 4×4 metres and room for the audience.

The 90 minute production is competitively priced, and comes with the option of an additional workshop with members of the cast and creative team exploring themes in the play and our production. Dates are available for in-school performances throughout February.

The guaranteed way of raising literacy levels among students who are struggling

In an ideal world, pupils and students who struggle with literacy would have a tutor working with them on an individual basis, several days a week.

The teacher could note the student’s particular problems each step of the way, and as problems became apparent provide remedial reading and writing activities, which are also monitored.

Every misunderstanding and every concept not understood would result in taking the pupil or student back a step for remedial work, after which progress and advancement would resume.

It is a wonderful and utterly effective approach, but normally quite impossible to implement. This is not only because of the cost of having a teacher working on a one-to-one basis with children, but also because the system needs the teacher to have remedial activities to hand for every eventuality.

Now, however, this approach is available through a program that rapidly locates each individual’s literacy needs, directing the student to an engaging set of activities which will remedy any deficits, before advancing through to the next set of skills.

Because the level of instruction is so accurately reflective of the individual’s current abilities, the student then gets a feeling of success and progress, rather than what can become a regular and familiar feeling of failure.

At the same time your colleagues are now free to work with others in the group. Indeed, they can rotate the individual students, with some receiving directed help online while others engage with offline paper-based activities which are generated automatically by the system.

The program in question is Strategies for Older Students from Lexia – a program already in use in hundreds of schools across the UK.

You can try the program for yourself immediately and then if you wish, opt for a 30 day free trial in your school by clicking here

Of course, you may like to talk first – if so, please do call 0191 482 1939 or email info@lexiauk.co.uk

I do hope you will find this approach interesting and consider joining the many other schools now using Strategies for Older Students as their prime method of raising literacy levels for those who require much-needed support. If used as recommended the program achieves accelerated gains at typically twice the rate of non-Lexia users; guaranteed!

This is what teachers said…

A recent survey of both classroom teachers and heads of English in secondary schools revealed a huge diversity of opinion as to what is the best way to introduce Shakespeare to pupils and students for the first time.

Indeed many of the teachers who responded had evolved their own unique approach, so while some went straight to the Shakespeare text others started with viewing the play on film, some used a dramatic exploration of certain scenes, and others used a comic style presentation by way of introduction.

What was particularly interesting in the responses was that as we explored the matter further many teachers said that they had not tried certain approaches or had assumed that it was not an approach that was developed enough for their pupils.

Further, when we asked if it was felt that introducing a Shakespeare play for the first time was problematic, the most common answer was that it was difficult because of resistance to the whole concept of Shakespeare. In short, barriers had to be broken down.

Now, in response to a range of questions asked of teachers in the last couple of years we’ve produced a Shakespeare resource which meets many of the needs expressed by both classroom teachers and heads of departments.

For example, we noted that many teachers like to have a dual text edition with the original and a modern translation available at the same time. Others welcome a highly illustrated comic book approach to make the play more rapidly accessible, particularly at Key Stage 3.

Likewise we noted that around two thirds of teachers involved in teaching Shakespeare to students seeing it for the first time said they liked to start with key scenes only.

So this is what we have produced: a resource that incorporates all these requirements. You can get a feel for the results on our website

Then just click on the small pictures that run down the web page to the right of the cover picture, and you’ll see exactly what individual pages of the resource look like.

What is the one cultural activity that all children love, and which is also fundamental to our survival?

Storytelling is as old as homo sapiens, and is our most profound way of learning about ourselves and those around us. About what is, what was, and what might be.

As such it is the heart and soul of our imaginations, our creativity and our civilisation, and it is our principle survival tool. It is in fact the mechanism that has allowed us to survive, flourish, and create civilisations.

Because of this we still need stories as a way of uniting ourselves in families and societies, which is why novels and dramas continue to be at the very heart of our existence.

Indeed even a single sentence can get us going. Try this for example….

Sam went to the end of her garden, and ran her hand through the flowers that grew there.

This involves you working with your local primary feeder schools, so that an event can be put on in your school hall, where all the children can enjoy the show and some accompanying workshops.

The price of the session is fixed irrespective of the number of pupils involved. So if you invite some or all of your feeder primary schools, each need only make a very modest financial contribution – while you, as the host, pay nothing.

You can even host a public performance in your hall after school for parents and families to attend too, making it even more likely that your school won’t have to pay a penny.

Of course, it is entirely up to you how you arrange it – but certainly using storytelling as the heart of the introduction to your school can not only stimulate imagination and break down boundaries, but also reduce the worry that some children have on attending secondary school for the first time.

To begin organising your Storytelling Bonanza you can call us on 020 328 76245 to discuss the details, or visit our online booking form.You can select from one of our existing themes by clicking here.

Or, if you have an immediate question, please do either call 020 328 SNAIL (020 328 76245) or visit our Contact Us page

From the Anglo-Saxon period right up to the present technological era, this timeline explores the key historical events which introduced new words into the English language.

What impact did the Viking invasion, the exploration of the New World, and colonization have on the English we speak today? Examples are provided of words we owe to these events and eras, and your students might come up with some of their own too!

There is no doubt about the answer to the question above: it is one-to-one tuition.

But as we all know one-to-one tuition is not possible – at least not for more than a small amount of time each week. It is simply too expensive.

It is true that this undoubtedly used to be the case – but now the situation has changed.

For the fact is that it is now possible to give a pupil one-to-one tuition in a way that is utterly engaging and responsive to their immediate literacy needs – and within the school’s budget.

The approach involves a totally user-friendly software program which rapidly locates an individual’s literacy needs, directing him/her to an engaging set of activities which will remedy any deficits, before advancing through to the next set of skills.

The benefits of this approach are huge. First, the pupil or student gets the personalised attention he/she needs; attention which is directed one hundred percent to that individual’s unique literacy level.

Second, the learner finds the approach utterly rewarding and engaging. Because the level of instruction is so accurately reflective of the individual’s current abilities, s/he gets a feeling of success and progress, rather than that familiar feeling of failure.

Third, because the software activities are so engrossing, staff are now free to work with others in the group. Indeed, they can rotate the individual students, with some receiving directed help online while others engage with offline paper-based activities, which are generated automatically by the system.

The program in question is Strategies for Older Students from Lexia. Now, of course I recognise that it is easy for me to make claims about rapid pupil and student progress, enormous recovery rates for those who have slipped behind, and the fact that the approach will actually save your school money by reducing dependency on additional staff and training costs.

But before going further, you will want to know what other schools have found when they use the program, and you will of course want to try it out for yourself for a period of time without having to make any commitment.

We’re happy to offer both. If you want to read the case studies involving UK schools please click here. You will then also find on the right of the page the route to having access to the full program for 30 days without any payment or obligation.

Of course, you may like to talk first – if so, please do call 0191 482 1939 or email info@lexiauk.co.uk

I do hope you will find this approach interesting and consider joining the many other schools now using Strategies for Older Students as their prime method of raising literacy levels for those who require much-needed support.

Listen together to works from writers such as Wilfred Owen and Elizabeth Barrett Browning, and see how this affects your students’ interpretations. Hearing readings from Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth and The Tempest helps your class make sense of important speeches and encourages discussion of mood and atmosphere.

Book a visitFind out more about Doddle’s interactive resources, self-marking homework quizzes and automatic online markbook by booking a free in-school visit with one of our Educational Consultants.

A wonderful opportunity for students with a passion for literature to discover a range of new authors and texts, explore fresh approaches to familiar works and to prepare for undergraduate study of English Literature.

“Although I wasn’t initially sure what to expect about the summer course, I was massively surprised and impressed! – The sessions were in smallish groups of peers, and everyone was really nice and interested in the discussions – and the week was so engaging and eye opening, I felt really enriched and all of the tutors were so knowledgeable and insightful. Overall I would absolutely recommend the course, it was one of the best parts of my summer!”

“If you think this is just going to be a summer school on English Literature, you are wrong. It will also teach you about theories and ideas in Art, Theatre, and Philosophy. I came into the course disillusioned about English Literature academically but it inspired me to continue it further to A level.”

“I would thoroughly recommend attending the English Literature Summer School. It has given me a wonderful insight into texts and literary movements which are not covered on the school syllabus and has been enormous fun.”

Reviews from Summer School Students 2016

The English Summer School – Part 1 will cover literature dating from 650AD to 1790AD, including Middle English, Medieval Literature, Chaucer, The Renaissance, Shakespeare, Restoration Literature and the Rise of the Novel. In addition we will also be covering Historicist and Feminist critical approaches as part of this Summer School.

The English Summer School – Part 1 will be held on 24th – 28th July 2017.

The English Summer School – Part 2 will cover literature dating from 1790AD to the present day, including Romanticism and the Gothic Movement, Victorian Sensation Novels, Literature and the British Empire, Modernism, Postmoderism and Contemporary Literature. We will be covering the ‘Death of the Author’ and Postcolonial criticism as part of this Summer School.

The English Summer School – Part 2 will be held on 31st July – 4th August 2017.

The English Summer School – Part 3 will cover exclusively Contemporary English Literature, including prose fiction, poetry and drama. We will be focusing on Psychoanalytic criticism and questions of Identity as part of this Summer School.

The English Summer School – Part 3 will be held on 7th-11th August 2017.

Please note that students can attend all Parts of the Summer School, or just one or two, depending on their literary interests. Although the courses complement one another, they can also be treated as stand alone events and there is no requirement to have attended Part 1 in order to register for other Parts.

Thematic coverage by period, combining close study of texts with lectures on historical and cultural context, and setting major authors side-by-side with less familiar works, will help students to appreciate the development of prose, verse and drama in English from the middle ages to the present day. We will not only engage in close textual analysis of Medieval, Renaissance, Romantic, Nineteenth Century, Modernist and Contemporary writers, but also evaluate these movements in light of the authors’ own critical writing.

As well as looking at the purely written word, we will also cover literature in performance, comparing playscripts to film adaptations and reading through sections of the works using different performance theories. As an integral part of Part 1 of the Summer School we will attend a performance at the Globe Theatre on the Southbank. Literary theory and criticism will play an important role in the Summer School and students will be invited to examine texts they have studied in the light of competing theories of the nature and value of literature and the role of the critic.

This Summer School is suitable for all students aged 15-18 with a passion for literature, and will be particularly useful for those looking for a taste of undergraduate level engagement with texts and theory.

Practical Details:

The cost of booking any single five-day Part of the English Literature Summer School £465, the cost of any two Parts is £850, and the cost for all three Parts of the Summer School is £1200. The Summer School will be held at the University of London Bloomsbury campus (please note that these courses are not residential, and accommodation must be arranged independently if required).

There will be a limited number of bursary spaces available for those who would otherwise have financial difficulty in attending – please see our website for details.

Writing in an unfamiliar environment is something that nearly all successful writers do as it can provide them with the inspiration to think and write more creatively than before. Thus, when your pupils are tasked to write creatively, it can be a good idea to take the lesson elsewhere.

Whether it’s a short story or a poem, by taking your pupils to a park, busy street, reservoir or anywhere else which isn’t considered as commonplace, your pupils will be inspired by their surroundings and thus (in terms of creativity) their writing will be improved.

Of course, to do this you will need some kind of transport (unless your school is fortunate enough to be located within walking distance of such an environment), which is where Benchmark Minibus Leasing can help.

Leasing a minibus with Benchmark can often work out cheaper than buying a minibus outright (especially if one takes into account the re-sale value of a school bus at the end of its working life), or indeed hiring a coach each time.

It is an arrangement which makes it possible for schools to fund the minibus through a small payment each month, which has the added benefit of improved budgeting and cash flow.

What’s more, a full maintenance programme is included, so no matter the outcome of the vehicle’s services and MOTs, the cost of repairs won’t affect the lease price.

Despite revising key stories, fairy tales and traditional stories from around the world in literacy lessons, it can sometimes be difficult to know whether your pupils will be able to consider their particular characteristics and retell these stories a day, a week, or a year later.

Understanding Traditional Stories is a photocopiable teaching resource which not only contains a range of fairy tales, fables, and folk stories from around the world, but also a wealth of activities to ensure that these narratives have been understood.

The activities focus on developing comprehension and reading skills, preparing pupils for their Year 2 tests in which they are required to demonstrate that they not only have the ability to decode words and retrieve information, but also that they are able to state their opinion of a text and use skills such as inference and deduction.

Furthermore, the speaking and listening activities for each story support the expectations of the new curriculum, which places a heavy emphasis on Key Stage 1 children being encouraged to develop these skills.

You can order Understanding Traditional Stories in a variety of ways, including:

Quite often the content of the National Curriculum can be intractable for pupils who speak English as a second language. The teaching of English can now be made wholly accessible using set texts which have been effectively differentiated so that they are understood by pupils who may find the original version difficult.

This pdf workbook has been designed for use with the novel ‘Lord of the Flies’ written by William Golding. With over 70 exercises covering a broad range of ability there is something for every student here. The exercises cover factual recall, knowledge of the text, understanding of the plot, analysis, personal interpretation and speculation. Worksheets are clearly laid out and are user-friendly. They can be completed with a minimum of equipment and they can be used in a variety of ways to fit into any course of study.

This text has been widely used in English and Special Needs classrooms to promote the development of reading writing and listening skills. It has proven to be popular because of its accessibility and at the end of each section there is a series of stimulating exercises designed to enhance language acquisition. Developing literary appreciation is an integral part of the National Curriculum and this resource is designed to develop this skill.

84 Photocopiable masters £29.99 + VAT

Once purchased, the CD can be freely copied and networked throughout the school!

Creative writing is an area which pupils with SEN or pupils who are considered to be slower learners find particularly challenging. Not least because creative writing requires pupils to use an array of literacy skills, simultaneously.

Indeed, creative writing requires pupils to focus on spelling, handwriting, grammar, punctuation, and structuring, as well as using their imagination.

Fortunately, Brilliant Publications has produced the Boost Creative Writing series to provide additional support for pupils who find creative writing to be a particularly challenging task.

The Boost Creative Writing series addresses the Programmes of Study for writing composition in the new (2014) National Curriculum for England.

The structured planning sheets contain a wealth of activities that provide additional reinforcement of key skills for slower learners and SEN pupils with non-prescriptive writing scaffolds, giving them the support they need.

The activity sheets have been written by Judith Thornby, an experienced Learning Support Coordinator, and cover a range of writing genres, from stories and poems to book reviews and newspaper reports.

Furthermore, not only does the series boost pupils’ creative writing skills, but it has also proven to give pupils confidence and make them believe that they can write. This belief leads to better performance in all areas of school. And while designed for SEN pupils, these sheets can, and have, been used by pupils of all abilities.

You can order the Boost Creative Writing series pack in any of these ways:

One of the most curious things about learning to write in one’s native tongue is that at the same time as learning to use the language one is actually using the language.

Which is why the learning tends to be twofold. On the one hand one learns the rules and logic of the language in a systematic way, but on the other hand issues suddenly arise that show that further explanation is needed.

For example, we might take the old favourite of homographs and homophones. They can cause endless confusion, so what should one do?

The answer, of course, is to have a lesson or a part of the lesson on this particular topic – quite possibly throwing in some homograph and homophone puns along the way just to make it more lighthearted.

The same is true with every other part of the language. From the indicative, imperative, and subjunctive mood to the use of a comma with adverbials of frequency.

This is what the 200 page copiable volume “Grammar and Punctuation for Key Stages 3 and 4″ covers. Over 170 different items and topics, each dealt with, along with examples. It offers teachers invaluable assistance in familiarising their pupils with those grammatical and punctuation principles relevant to Key Stages 3 and 4 and rooted in national literacy strategies.

In this way Grammar and Punctuation for Key Stages 3 and 4 performs a dual function: it is both a grammar book and an editing handbook, utilising authentic examples collected from a variety of written sources.

It pays particular attention to those areas with which authors of all ages tend to have difficulties and offers an abundance of examples of current usage highlighting these areas.

Such examples are then followed by suggested improvements and by explanations justifying those improvements. Finally the relevant principles are practised through activities designed for pupils.

Anna Nolan, the author of Grammar and Punctuation for Key Stages 3 and 4, has spent many years running public examinations, developing national qualification, carrying out linguistic research and writing books on English grammar, punctuation and usage.

This copiable book is available both in spiral bound printed form and on CD. It is a revised and updated second edition of the book Grammar and Punctuation at Key Stage 3.

To help schools enjoy and promote the reciting and learning of poetry, the Performance Poetry Society is offering Primary Schools the opportunity of having Jim MacCool’s Interactive Poetry and Song Shows to visit this Autumn.

Jim MacCool’s Shows have proved to be suitable for all ages and abilities of primary school pupils and will enrich and entertain your pupils and staff alike.

Here are some comments on schools’ Web pages and newsletters, after Jim’s visit.A Poet Visiting Kings Avenue School
On Tuesday the 26th April a fantastic poet named Jim MacCool came to Kings Avenue to tell us about his job. The assembly was so upbeat it was like a concert. We did loads of singing; everyone was having so much fun. He did riddles and was very inspirational. He inspired me to write more poems. Jim brought some fabulous instruments; I want to give Jim special thanks for being so inspiring.
By Lattisha – 5SJim MacCool at Cragside School
We were so pleased to have Jim MacCool from the Performance Poetry Society today.
He performed for reception to year 6, including parents and grandparents, and had everyone clapping, stomping and joining in with a variety of Scottish and Irish verse.
It was fabulous to see the children sharing such an exciting experience with their families.
We’re all now looking forward to the children writing and presenting their own performance poetry in the classroom. Thanks so much to everyone who came and joined in the fun; sharing the experience with parents and grandparents was very special and exciting for the children.

To find out how your school can take advantage of this opportunity and join in, please telephone me, Sandra Dennis on 0208 688 6951 or email performancepoetry@yahoo.com for further details.

THE PERFORMANCE POETRY SOCIETY

Working In Universities, Colleges, Schools, Arts Centres, Libraries And Prisons

To help schools enjoy and promote the reciting and learning of poetry, the Performance Poetry Society is offering Secondary Schools the opportunity of having Jim MacCool’s Poetry Shows to visit this Autumn.

Jim MacCool’s Shows have proved to be suitable for all ages and abilities of secondary school pupils and will enrich and entertain your pupils and staff alike.

Here are some comments from Secondary schools after Jim’s visit.

Poet Jim MacCool’s visits to All Saints
On Monday 9th & Tuesday 10th November, Years 7 and 8 were given the opportunity to attend an interactive poetry workshop led by performance poet Jim MacCool. Rhythm was a key focal point of the session with Jim accompanying his verse with a variety of instruments and props. After initial shyness, the students (and staff) were soon clapping, singing and on their feet joining in. It was a thoroughly entertaining event!

St. Paul ’s High School, BessbrookA packed house cheered and applauded Mr MacCool after each verse and Celtic song. Pupils volunteered to go up on stage and dance to Jim’s Irish Drum. Jim sang, recited poetry and played the Irish Drum as he recounted stories inspired by Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales.
Roisin Patton, Drama teacher at the school, said of the performances, ‘Pupils were enthusiastic and involved throughout Jim’s performances. It was definitely worthwhile that he came along. Y9 Pupils, in particular, enjoyed ‘The Boxer’s Tale’ as well as the short question and answer session they had with Jim after that final performance’.

To find out how your school can take advantage of this opportunity and join in, please telephone me, Sandra Dennis on 0208 688 6951 or email performancepoetry@yahoo.com for further details.

There are plays and there are plays, but sometimes it is particularly helpful to have a play that can not only be developed towards a final production but can also be worked on, in classroom in segments, with each segment making a coherent lesson.

And a play which as well being an event that can be staged in front of an audience can be used in class to examine how the central character (a detective) works and where she is going, as well as how she is characterised, how character motivation is explored, what costumes could be used, etc, etc.

In short, what we have here is a play that can be performed, dissected, re-worked, analysed, considered in terms of its structure, turned into a game, have a different ending (it is a murder mystery, so the outcome is a key element), have audience interaction, become a radio play, and be the basis for research of the genre.

All of these alternatives are available with “Murder at Masons Hotel” a play script complete with associated activities. It is supplied in copiable format so that each student can have his/her own copy of the script, or part of the script, to work on at all times.

The play is set in the 1960s and revolves round the murder of a New York crime boss who is visiting London with his family. He is shot in his room the night before the announcement of changes to his will, and the play centres around the attempts by two characters to solve the mystery of his death.

An initial investigation by Harriet Hemmings of Scotland Yard fails to make progress until Veronica Holmes (rumoured to be the great great granddaughter of Sherlock) is called in.

The play retains a real sense of drama while also including numerous comic moments. Many of the characters can be played by either male or female actors.

Murder at Masons Hotel is available as a copiable book, or on CD or as a download. Each edition comes with unlimited reproduction rights for use within the school. Sample pages can be viewed here http://www.pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/drama/T1838.pdf

Of the many issues faced by teachers in recent times, it was a tiny punctuation mark that forced the government to make a change!

The traditional media were incensed. The Independent told us the ’excitable, text speaking youth of today are being told to curb their exclamation by the Government’ with ‘strict new rules on use of exclamation marks’.

‘How strange!’ wrote The Guardian, it was ‘…effectively proof that the government wants to penalise enthusiasm!’

The Telegraph described it as ‘Nonsense!’ that would take ‘writing back to the 19th century’.

BBC Breakfast debated the issue with linguistic experts who agreed in their ridicule.

Meanwhile a mighty battle erupted on social media between the punctuation pedants and the grammar anarchists, until both sides realised that neither agreed with the government’s stance.

The mounting outrage drove the Department for Education to issue a ‘clarification’ and just to be sure, the Minister of State for Schools published his personal guidance that:

“the exclamation mark will continue to be acceptable in children’s responses in the test” and “pupils will not be marked down for using an exclamation mark for emphasis”…however should they be asked to write an exclamation using the “correct sentence format, starting with ‘what’ or ‘how’, will be required”.

While the exclamation mark was safe, teachers now found themselves charged with teaching not only exclamative sentences but also the ‘variety of sentence forms’ that might end with an exclamation mark!

For many primary school teachers, particularly those without a specialism in English, the new pedantic code is a complex and scary beast. Thankfully teachers can now recruit their own monster: the Punctuation Monsters!

Designed to help teachers retain an emphasis on creativity while meeting the needs of the new curriculum, the ‘Unpunctuated’ series uses a theme of ‘Mermaids & Water Monsters’ to challenge students to rewrite unpunctuated sentences and then consolidate their learning with further creative thinking and writing challenges.

After completing the Challenge Sheets, students can mark their own work (and their friends) with the ‘Sentence Check’ sheets. The whole class can then take part in class challenges to add their own punctuation and rewrite the sentences using the powerpoint challenges included with each module.

“A great resource – well differentiated and suits my intended purpose of using with intervention groups in Year 2. I particularly like the ‘unpunctuated’ texts as some of my target children struggle to use capital letters and full stops accurately. This was a great time saver! “

While all Stage on Screen plays feature regularly on school and higher/further education curriculums in the UK and across the world, you don’t have to be studying our specially staged and filmed productions to benefit from them. Anyone who loves or who is learning Shakespeare will profit from seeing plays by his good friend Ben Jonson, later contemporary John Webster, plus major influencer – and ‘real’ Shakespeare candidate – Christopher Marlowe.

Our current titles are as follows:

Dr Faustus – themes from this Marlowe classic are echoed in Macbeth in particular, but also Othello, Timon of Athens and other plays. Marlowe heavily influenced Shakespeare, and with this, probably his finest play, it’s easy to see why.

Volpone – another play that has echoes in Othello, but which is also interesting for comparison of Jonson’s more classical approach to drama when compared to Shakespeare, his contemporary and great friend.

The Duchess of Malfi – this dark masterpiece by John Webster finds many echoes in Shakespeare with its themes of corruption, cruelty and class, while the use of madness makes an interesting comparison with its treatment in Hamlet.

The School for Scandal – this Richard Brinsley Sheridan comedy of manners was written much later of course, and we can’t by any stretch describe it (let alone him) as a Shakespearean companion. However, we mention it here as it makes up the fourth of our current available titles and, like the others, it’s on many curriculums in its own right. As we currently offer all four titles for a special price, you may wish to consider it.

Approved texts – and all round approval

Each play uses full approved texts (other filmed productions are often heavily cut or adapted), and each is staged and recorded live in front of an audience at London’s Greenwich Theatre.

They’ve all received excellent reviews from students, teachers and academic journals plus mainstream and specialist press.

Here are just a couple:

‘Pitched perfectly to suit both casual and academic audiences, Stage on Screen offers an unparalleled array of material on these productions that will be a welcome addition to those who wish to study early modern dramatists.’ (The Shakespeare Bulletin)

‘..Unlike many modern productions of the classics, Stage on Screen productions are rarely cut, putting pupils who see them at a distinct advantage.’ (Times Education Supplement)

Each play is available in special Education Packs, which include three DVDs: the play (with optional subtitles); extensive interviews with the theatre company; and a master-shot recording, invaluable for teaching stagecraft, lighting and blocking. Our DVDs play on any system worldwide.

Available for £35.98 for each 3-disc title on Amazon, this special offer gets you the box set of all four titles for just £100 plus P&P, and VAT (if applicable). To order, just email stephen@hamilton-house.com with your completed order form. Alternatively, call us on +44 (0) 20 3174 3249.

If ordering from outside the UK, we’ll automatically convert the cost to your currency at that day’s exchange rate. (Currently, £100 is around US$145 or €130.)